Tea-cartridge package and method of manufacturing the same



Feb. 1l, 1930. Q N, wlT-r 1,746,899

TEA CARTRIDGE PACKAGE AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING THE SAME Filed Oct. 9.1928 /A RchardRoe Co l mfr 'Orana he Orarrlg kN new 0mm! Koe /f INVENTORl l E ATTORNEY Patented Feb. 11, 1930 UNITE-D sTATas PATENT- oFl-'ICE AGEORGE N. WITT, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR T MILLIE PATENT HOLDINGCO., INC., OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OFNEW vYORK y TEA-CARTRIDGEPACKAGE AND METHoD oF MANUFACTURINGI'rHE SAME l Application led ctober9, 1928. Serial No. 311,281. Y

The present invention relates to multi-article packages, and moreparticularly to such as contain a predetermined number of tea cartridgesor tea balls. The invention relates also to a method of producing thesepackages.

Tea cartridges or tea balls are usually in the form of a closedcontainer of open mesh textile fabric or the like, holding a quantity oftea suiiicient for a single brewing, and being provided with asuspending string, that is attached at one of its ends to the containerand has secured to its free end a handle of cardboard or the like, onwhich is displayed,

' L5 by printing or otherwise, the name and address of the packer ormerchant, or that of the restaurant, hotel, etc. in which the teacartridge is being used, and, in addition'v thereto, the name or otheridentification marks of the tea contained in the cartridge. When thesearticles of commerce are put up in packages for retail sale, they areusually thrown indiscriminately into a box or bag. The result is thatthe suspending stringsbecome tangled in a confused and not readilyseparable mass so that, when these cartridges are to be put to use, itis often necessary to cut the suspending strings which fact renders thecartridges practically unfit for use. This type of packages are alsoobjectionable on the ground that the cartridges are not properlydisplayed without opening the box or unsealing the bag.

The main object of the present invention is to provide a tea ballpackage whereby the contents may be readily displayed without unsealingor openin the package and without the necessityv o? actually handlingthe goods, and furthermore to so construct the 4o package that thewrapper thereof serves, at

the ysame time, for preventing tangling of the suspending strings of thecartridges and for maintaining thehandles above-mentioned in suchposition that they are readily visible and thereby serve as advertisingmedia.

With these and other objects in view, which will more fully appear asthe nature of the invention is better understood, the same con- A sistsin the combination, arrangement and construction of parts hereinafter`described,

pointed out in the appended claim and illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, it being understood that many changes may be made in the sizeand proportion of the several -parts and details of construction withinthe scope of the appended claim, without departing from the spirit orsacrificing any of the advantages of the invention. i

Two of the many possible embodiments of the invention are illustrated inthe accompanying drawings, in which;-

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a tea ball package constructed inaccordance with the present invention; Fig." 2 is a rear elevationthereof; Fig. 3 is a transverse section taken through thepackage; Fig. 4is an elevation of an individual tea cartridge; and Fig. 5 is 4a frontelevation of a modified package.

Before describing the package, it seems to be advisable to refer to thegeneral construction of the goods packed thereim In Fig. 4 of thedrawings one form of a tea cartridge is disclosed, the same comprising aclosed container 10, preferably, of open mesh textile fabric and holdinga quantity of tea leaves sufciert for a single brewing. To thiscontainer is attached in any suitable manner a suspending strin 11 atone of its ends. To

the other endY o this string is fastened a handle 12 of cardboard or thelike, on which is displayed, by printing or otherwise, the name andaddress of the packer or of the merchant selling these goods, and thequality and other identification mark of the tea held by the receptacle.It is a Well known fact that, in using this cartridge, hot water ispoured into a teapot or other brewing receptacle, and the cartridgeinserted intothe container, is being taken hold of by the handle. Thesuspending string is extended over the mouth of the tea pot, after whichthe pot cover is put in place, whereby the cartridge is suspended withinthe pot and the handle disposed on the outside of said pot, so that thecartridge may be readily removed from the pot 'after the infusion hastaken y place.

The package consists of a rigid sheet material base 13, preferably ofcardboard or the like, the said base being of any suitable conguration.In the case illustrated it is of oblong design. On this base is arrangeda plurality of rows of cartridges 10 with their handles 12 placedregularly in rows on top of the cartridges. A transparent sheet 14 ofpaper completely envelops the said base and the cartridges with theirhandles, overlaps itself, as indicated at 15, on the back of the base13, and is glued or otherwise-secured in place.` In the caseillustrated, a seal 16 is pasted to the wrapper at the overlappingportions or folds 15 thereof. This seal may also serve to displayprinted matter, such as the name and address of the manufacturer orpacker of the tea cartridges. The labels carry in such case the name andaddress of the merchant selling the packages, or of the hotel,restaurant or the like where the cartridges are being put to use. f Thewrapper 14 is moistureand dust# proof, thereby keeping the contents ofthe package, that is to say the tea cartridges, in

a dry and sanitary condition. Said 'wrapr per, by reason of itstransparency, facilitates display of the cartridges upon the shelves orin cases of the retail merchant, and also displays the cartridge handleswith the printed matter thereon. The said wrapper is also rendible, sothat access may be easily had to the contents of the package.

Attention is called to the fact that the wrapper is applied tightlyaround the base 13 and the cartridges arranged thereon, so

that the said cartridges and their handles are prevented from shiftingon the base. SaidV wrapper not only holds the cartridges andJ ltheirhandles in proper position upon the base, but incidentally prevents th`esuspending strings 11v from becoming tangled, so that each individualcartridge may be c'onveniently removed from the pack. Y I

It is to be noted that, inasmuch as the handles of the cartridges arevisible through the wrapper, the cost of printing on the wrapper of theadvertising matter displayed on the said handles is saved.

A modification 'of the invention is illustrated in Fig. 5 of thedrawings, differing from theone above described only in that the base 17thereof is provided with sides 18 and ends 19. In other words the saidbase is in the form of a shallow, open box or tray, 'into which the teacartridges are inserted in rows. The handles of the tea cartridges areinitially disposed above the openY end of the shallow box,to he firmlypressed against the cart-ridges when the wrapper 14 is applied thereto.

Otherwise the construction and operation of the elements are the same asof those described in connection with Figs. 1 to 4, inelusive, of thedrawings.

What I claim is A multiple article package comprising a base of rigidsheet material, a plurality of rows of tea cartridges arranged on saidbase,

massue each cartridge consisting of a closed receptacle containing teaand having attached thereto one end of a suspending string to the otherend of which is fixed a cardboard A

